By Isaac Akerele
Human Rights Activist and a former Senator representing Kaduna Central in the last Senate, Senator Shehu Sani said on Tuesday that an alleged sum of $6 Million purportedly made available to International Election Observers including those from the European Union(EU) by the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) is untrue.
According to Sani, the sum which was allegedly approved by former President Muhammadu Buhari and disbursed by immediate past CBN governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, during the 2023 elections was certainly not true as the European Union Election Observers (EU) mission would typically not have anything to do with such funds.
According to Earlier reports, a senior official of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr Michael Onyeka Ogbu, told a High Court Sitting in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) how former president Muhammadu Buhari Approved payment of $6,230,000 to international Election Observers before the 2023 general elections.
The claim came while he testified as a prosecution witness at the ongoing trial of former CBN Governor, Mr Emefiele, who stands trial on an alleged 20-count Charge.
The prosecution witness alleged that Mr Emefiele forged a document entitled: Re: Presidential Directive on Foreign Election Observer Missions dated January 26th, 2023 with Ref No. SGF.43/L.01/201, supposed to have been issued from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (AGF)
Emefiele was alleged to have intentionally obtained, by false pretence, $6,230,000.00 by falsely claiming that the Secretary to the Government of the Federation had requested the CBN to provide logistics advance in the sum of $6,230,000 to the Election Observers team including, EU observers team. He claimed that the SGF said the directive was issued a by then President, Muhammadu Buhari
However, while reacting to this news, Senator Shehu Sani took to his X platform in defence of the allegations claiming that the EU should be spared such allegations, saying that such international observers are definitely not the European Union (EU) Election Observers.
“If actually international elections observers were allegedly paid $6m by the Buhari regime it’s certainly not the EU election observers” he tweeted
As more scandals are being brought to light, in the wake of a former CBN Governor, Emefiele’s case, Nigerians await the outcome of the ongoing trial.
